Grandpa Gold
by OnceUponAShipper
Summary: It's been about six months since Neal died in Neverland. Henry is coping, but Gold is having trouble. Can a grandson reach his grandfather? Or does he need his parent's help? Very mild SwanQueen. Mostly Henry and gold!


**A/N - **So, with the premier having aired two weeks ago, we know that Neal is alive and well. However, since I started this series before the S3 season opener, we're just going to say that Neal didn't survive. I know, it's sad, but it's part of this series! Sorry! Please, review when you're finished if you can! They're incredibly helpful, as well as uplifting :-) Enjoy!

* * *

It seemed as though the only person who wasn't aware of the Queen and the Savior's relationship, was the very person who made them what they were: Mr. Gold. Although the town was small, no one had dared to approach the reclusive man since Neal's death. Belle was the only one he allowed in.

The old man spent his days cooped up in his dark pawn shop, haunted by each and every prize he'd collected over the years. Jewelry and weapons hung from walls, but he paid no mind to them. They were all reminders of the time he'd spent searching for his son, only to find him when it was too late.

Belle never forced Gold to talk. She'd known him long enough to know that, Gold was really a quiet man. He'd become accustomed to living a life alone, and silence was all he knew. As Rumplestiltskin, he always had a snappy comeback, and although he was still a wizard, Gold lost the ability to come up with snark on a regular basis.

There was only one other person that Gold had allowed close, and that was his grandson, Henry. It was the teenager who broke the news of his parent's love. And, it was Henry who understood the pain Gold was experiencing. He saw the way the man who was supposed to be his grandfather, but was never more than Mr. Gold, cower away from the outside world.

At their son's urging, Emma and Regina paid the broker a visit shortly after their "announcement." Neither one of them went in unarmed, but they doubted that they'd have to use any form of force. Gold was in mourning, there was no way he'd try and harm them.

The shop smelled of mildew and heavy coats of dust covered the counter tops. It was clear that Gold hadn't hadn't kept up with the maintenance.

"Gold?" Emma enticed.

When there was no answer, Regina tried her hand. "Rumplestiltskin?"

The two women moved about the store cautiously, their eyes explored the many wonders of Gold's shop. There were things neither of them had noticed before, which is saying a lot. For a person who lived in the same town for nearly 30 years, the hallowed room that was Rumplestiltskin's Pawn Shop never ceased to amaze Regina.

"I understand congratulations are in order," a voice croaked from the doorway. Emma whipped around and found Gold leaning against the doorframe that lead into his office. The man had aged slightly in the preceding months; he'd allowed his hair to grow out as well as his beard. He didn't look like a caveman, per say, but his clean cut appearance had vanished.

Regina moved closer to Emma instinctively. "Gold," she nodded curtly. "We were just-"

"Say no more, dearie. I know why you're here," Gold responded. He hobbled behind the counter and rested his cane against the glass. He gave the two a smile as though he were speaking to average customers. "Henry paid me a short visit," he explained. "Amongst other things, he informed me that there was a new union in town. You two are quite the site." A hint of Rumplestiltskin's child-like tone laced his words, though the man never faltered in his composure.

Emma felt almost apologetic. Her presence there, to her, felt as though she were saying, "I know I was with Neal and he's Henry's father, and I'm sorry he died, but I'm with your sworn enemy now. Ok, thanks, bye." Of course, she never said any of that. Quietly, Emma spoke, "I'm sorry about Neal." She'd said it twice in Neverland, right after he died, but since they'd been home, she barely even looked at Gold.

The man winced inconspicuously at the mention of Bae's chosen name. To him, his son was and always would be Baelfire to him. "Thank you for your condolences, but I'm not the one who needs them. Henry's lost his father-"

"And you lost your son," Emma pointed out.

"Ms. Swan," Gold said in a near perfect imitation of Regina. "If I were to need therapeutic wisdom, I'd surely find it somewhere else."

The blonde moved forward and rested the palms of her hands on the glass. She acted as if she were genuinely interested in the items for sale. "You know we're actually family, right?"

An irritated scoff escaped Gold's lips. "I'm afraid no such thing is true, dearie. Bae was the only real family I have."

"What does that make Belle?" Emma countered. "Does she know you think that?"

Regina clutched Emma's arm as a warning, but Emma knew what she was doing. "Whatever occurs between Belle and I is none of your concern," Gold seethed.

Emma inclined her neck to one side, her eyes narrowed on Gold. "If it affects Henry, it is my concern."

Gold's face fell ever-so-slightly. "Henry is a strong lad. He needn't worry about me."

"But he does. Other than me, you're his only link to his father. You know a side of Neal that I don't and never will. I can't tell Henry what his father was like as a child or if they have anything in common. The only person I knew lied to me, loved me, and left me. That story doesn't have the happy ending Henry needs."

Gold kept Emma's stare. "Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, dearie, but not everything _has_ a happy ending. I'm sure your Queen can attest to that."

Regina spoke with a calming tone, almost melodic. "Not everything does have a happy ending, but everything _can_." She slipped her hand into Emma's and their fingers intertwined like vines.

Gold's eyes fell to the gesture, then back up to the women in front of him. "When you realize what family means, Henry's waiting for you," Emma said. "Just don't take too long."

* * *

Henry spent the day with his father. On their way to see Gold, Emma and Regina had dropped him off at the cemetery. They knew he liked his own time with Neal. Both Henry and Emma took turns once in a while. Regina never begrudged the two of their time with the fallen father and former lover. She, more than anyone, understood the pain of loss.

November brought stiff winds to Storybrooke that year. Scattered leaves blew across the yard and over headstones. The sky was one large cloud of gray with no sun in sight. Henry didn't mind the weather- not when he was with Neal. It was the last thing on his mind.

The concrete monument with Neal's name was still relatively unscathed. Soft moss began to grow around the edges, but for the most part, it was neatly planted. Neal's name was engraved in college block letters, and Henry always made a point of running a finger over the etching.

"I see we share a commonality," a gruff man commented behind Henry. He turned slowly and saw Gold standing several feet away. He waited for his grandfather to join him on the cool, hard earth. Gold limped over tiredly and knelt down on his good knee.

"D'you come here a lot?" Henry wondered aloud. He looked curiously at his grandfather but had little hope of a response.

Gold's hair blew back with a gust of wind and revealed the creases in his forehead. He surprised Henry when he said, "I do. Every other morning."

"D'you ever talk to him?" Henry wanted to be sure he wasn't the only one. And, if he were, he wouldn't admit it.

Slightly uncomfortable with the vulnerability he was exhibiting, Gold stood up and stared down at the gravestone. "Sometimes, yes," he confessed.

Henry stayed on the ground, he hugged his knees to his chest and shivered with the breeze. Gold noticed and something inside possessed him to take off his coat, and lay it across Henry's shoulders. Something told him, that's what Bae would have done. "I miss him," Henry lamented.

It was meant more as a statement to himself, but Gold heard him. The pain he'd felt since his son's death only worsened upon Henry's musing. "As do I." He listened as Henry sniffled and tried to act brave. He saw Bae's courageous exterior Henry had obtained. "You know, I asked Dr. Whale to try and bring him back," Gold confided. He hadn't told a soul, including Belle. And, he made sure Gold wouldn't either.

"What happened?" Henry asked.

Gold inhaled deeply, the cold air filled his lungs. "He said 'no.' He said that, even if he found the right heart, he wouldn't do it."

"Why not?"

"Because of what happened to the stable boy, Daniel." Gold glanced down at the top of Henry's head before going on. "He said he wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, deceased or living."

"I guess that was cool of him," Henry commented.

Gold had the sudden urge to shake Henry. How dare he say such a thing? How is was "cool" of Whale to not bring his only son back? What part of that was ok? The old man struggled to remain calm. "How do you mean?" he asked in a tight voice, his anger bubbled in his chest.

"Mom lost Daniel twice; once when he was alive and once when he wasn't. Why go through that kind of pain again if you don't have to?" There was no malice in Henry's words, no hatred, just melancholy.

Gold let Henry's words sink in, but it wasn't easy. All he wanted was his son, and here Henry was, saying that it was a good thing Bae didn't come back. Gold didn't want a fight, he was too tired and too bereaved. He'd almost forgotten the whole reason he'd come to see Neal. He supposed he knew that he'd find Henry there, but he hadn't prepared any words of wisdom. Emma's speech rang in his head repeatedly, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore it. He could see the pain Henry was in; it was the same hurt Gold felt. "Bae- Neal, he was a good son." Henry craned his neck and glanced at his grandfather. "He never told a lie, never hurt anyone. He was brave. He was the bravest person I've ever known."

Henry wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything about the man he'd known for less than a year; the man who was his father. He just didn't know how to ask Gold. "Do I... Do I look like him?"

Gold examined Henry's features as he remembered Neal's. "You have his smile."

"Really?"

Henry's deep green eyes met Gold's and the man felt a strange warmth in him. "And his heart."

"Not literally though, right?"

A small smile cracked through Gold before he could help himself. "No, not literally."

"Good." Henry gingerly placed his palm on the headstone before asking his final question. "Was it worth it?"

Gold sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden flash of memory: the green vortex, Bae's hand in his, his other hand on the dagger, Bae's fingers slipping through his own, and then the portal was gone. Bae's desperate cries for his father to come with him echoed in Gold's ears. Then it was over, and all that was left was Gold and the dagger. The years of searching for his son had taken their toll on Gold, emotionally and physically. Never for a moment had he forgiven himself for leaving Bae. "No, Henry. It wasn't worth it."

That was all Henry wanted- no, needed to know. "Bye, Dad," he whispered as he patted the stone. "I love you. I'll see you later." Gold could feel a tiny piece of his heart break apart at the sight of Henry caress his father's name. He hadn't been exposed to such raw emotion in a very long time, and when he experienced this, Gold almost fell apart. Henry stood up, his head just barely touched Gold's shoulders.

"Goodbye, Bae," Gold said stiffly. Henry gave Gold his coat back, but his grandfather stopped him. "It's cold, Henry." That was Gold's version of being nice. The teenager shrugged on Gold's jacket and it was just two sizes too big. He felt something in the light sports jacket; he felt connected to the man next to him. "There you go."

Henry tilted his head slightly to look Gold in the eye and gave him an appreciative smile- Neal's smile. For the first time, he felt genuinely comfortable with the his grandfather. So much so, that Henry took a chance and tried something new. "Thanks, Grandpa." It was the first time he had called him "grandpa," and it would not be that last.


End file.
